Happy New Year 2010

Cat has promised to write at least 1 note a day..and she humbly do apologize for the 'no news' since 28 Dec 2009. Was a bit caught up with something personal and finishing work at the office.

The last 12 months has been a saga of block buster proportions on the news headlines in Malaysia: PM's Datuk Seri Najib's 1 Malaysia policy, the H1N1 virus, economic wake up calls, MCA's internal problem in the party, the budget announcement and the investigation surrounding the death of political secretary Teoh Beng Huat.

On personal level..cat would say that 2009 was better than 2008. This year also has it's ups and downs but at least it was less than last year. Either that... or cat must have been better at handling problems :). Less hope that it was a bit of both. Then, cat can look forward to a better year in 2010 and a much stronger cat.

The hardest times have been when it looks as though nothing is happening or worse..when something is definitely wrong in cat's life. Cat has experience the sadness in losing someone and losing hope. Despair had been added in also. The feeling of being invisible and unworthy came in mind.

Then came notes from friends near and far...from newly acquainted bloggers friends that came with messages of encouragement and much needed hugs. And from old friends that has enlightened cat on certain issues. Cat is unable to say anything other than..Thanks from cat's bottomless heart. :)

This is the year also which cat has found the 'Law of Attraction', the spirit of being positive and maintaining faith. Cat has also chose which path to take with eyes wide opened. Cat has loved and has known how it feels to be loved back. No regrets..ever. Cat has experience envy..and would never again let it into cat's heart again. Cat has known jealousy, oh..and it was not a nice feeling at all..this is one thing that cat has still need to put a lid on it (love and jealousy.. why must it always come together?).

Cat has to keep reminding herself that life is made of mixtures of bitterness and sweetness. Without that life would be boring and cat would not grow up and learn anything. And cat would have not written this blog. Need to remember what he has taught cat: that nothing cat is doing is wasted time. Cat may not understand or like what is happening..but cat can begin to accept that whatever happens is another marker on life's big chart.

Looking forward to year 2010. Cat would not make any resolutions. Just keep on learning and continue to improve herself. Walk the talk.

Hoping that there would be someone who care enough to knock some senses into this cat's head when cat forgets her lessons and sinks back into her black hole. :) Just don't knock too hard ,ok :)

Happy New Year 2010 and May God Bless Everyone.

Love and hugs
Cat

To Remember Me

Cat was going through the newspapers and saw this an extract of the essay written by Robert N Test, titled : To Remember Me
Here is an extract of it:
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The day will come when my body will lie upon a white sheet neatly tucked under four corners of a mattress located in a hospital busily occupied with the living and the dying. At a certain moment, the doctor will determine that my brain has ceased to function, and that for all intense and purposes, my life has stopped.

When that happens, do not attempt to instill artificial life into my body by the use of a machine. And don't call this my deathbed. Let this be called the bed of life, and let my body be taken from it to help others lead a fuller life.

Give my sight to a man who has never seen a sunrise, a bay's face or the love in the eyes of a woman.
Give my heart to a person whose own heart has caused nothing but endless days of pain.
Give my blood to the teenager who was pulled from the wreckage of his car, so that he could live to see his grandchildren play.
Give my kidneys to the one who depends on a machine to live from week to week.
Take my bones, every muscle, every fiber and nerve in my body and find a way to make a cripple child walk.
Explore every corner of my brain. Take my cells in necessary and let them grow so that, some day a speechless boy will shout at a crack of a bat and a deaf girl will hear the sound of rain against her window.
Burnt what is left of me and scatter the ashes to the winds to help the flowers grow. If you must bury something, let it be my faults, my weakness and all the prejudices against my fellow men. Give my sins to the devil. Give my soul to God.
If by chance, you wish to remember me, do it with a kind deed or word to someone who needs you.
If you do all that I have asked, I will live forever.

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Robert test died in 1994 at the age of 64 and under the term of his will, his body was donated to the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. His essay played a part in awakening the world to the importance of organ donation. Test believe that organ donation means a new lease of life in others. 'It's a way to live forever in others. Your entire body can go to many people. You know, you could be walking around in 10 cities.' The hopes represented by organ donation is symbolized by a green ribbon.

Food for thoughts
Signing off,
Cat

My Whole Life For You

If kisses were water,
I'll give you the sea

If hugs were leaves
I'll give you a whole tree

If you wish for a planet
I'll give you the whole galaxy

If love is life
I'll give you mine

That is how much you meant to me...

Raya Festivities

Raya Message from Boss : :p

Because it's the raya period, it doesn't mean that you all can eat whatever you want. Being in Sales, we need to maintain poise and be presentable. Look at all of you! Not one of you can be considered as 'fit'. Too many 'kuih', 'rendang' and 'ketupat'. That must be it.
What happened this year? J, you will lose the middle button soon. Pls take out 2 kg.
L, you are not even a muslim and you look so chubby now. No, don't answer.
S & A, both of you.. I won't say anything. Worst case ever.
Cat, you do dissapoint me. I thought you had more willpower than all of them. You have more curves everywhere now. Need to lose the extra 1 kg.

Look at G and me. We are the only ones that stay the same.
Magic word, u all : Eat To Live and not Live To Eat!!
or Must be that you all never invite both of us to any of your open houses..

All of us : Ooo.. So that is the real reason for this 'lesson'. Hehehe

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Gloomy Thoughts

“The best thing about dreams is that fleeting moment, when you are between asleep and awake, when you don't know the difference between reality and fantasy, when for just that one moment you believe with your entire soul that the dream is reality, and it really happened.”
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Words can be pleasing or it can hurt more than if you are being cut by a knife..

Life must be having fun with the scripts and plots. Do movies copy from real life or is it life that is copying scenes from the movies? End of Act 1, Episode 23. The camera shuts down and all the cast and the Film Director goes away, back to their own separate lives.

In reality, life keeps on filming. The actors and cast stay there. The camera is rolling on 24/7. How do you erase words.. Which is true and which is not true? You can't change any of the scripts or the plot. Could what 'he' says is correct? Has it all been her mistakes? Will she survive? No one knows. Just have to wait for the next show. Would anyone care? It's just 1 story among millions and millions of stories being recorded everywhere. Many would just say: There are others with worst situations than yours. A story that is not unique at all. Just grit your teeth and bear it.

The Law of the seed? You can't change events and you can't change others. You can only change the way you look at things and your own attitude to what's happening in order to be happy..Was that the answer? The secret to happiness or is it a part of survival guide? Sometimes it's really a wonder how people can treat a woman, a child, a maid or an old parent worse than they would treat an animal...

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Build a wall as high and as strong as the Great Wall of China, friend, and hide your most inner thoughts and worries. It's not for the human ears. Stop reading novels and watching dramas. Don't watch the news. Mind your own business. You are not important, no one cares about small unhappy people. Be the perfect human: smile and laugh. Laugh when you are sad, laugh when you are angry, laugh every second, every minute. Worse come to worse, they will only send you to an asylum. And when you are dead, at least people will say: Here lies a wonderful and happy soul.

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**gloomy article for a sunny Sunday**

Planetarium

It's that time of the year again : School Holidays.
That word must have sound so sweet to school teachers. Alas, this is the busiest period for hotels. There's the good side: more revenue, and the not so good side: hard to get a long leave.

The simple solution : bring Cici to visit Melaka. :p Ceh, this is not so bad. Not all local people has seen all that there is to be seen in their own hometown. Just ask the KL people: How many have been to the National Museum or to the National Zoo? (Big grin)..bet 1 in 20 people only is going to put up their hands.

Every Saturday or Sunday, if either boss or  mum does not have any activities planned for me (ahem), I will try to find something new for Cici to visit and learn :p.

One of the latest attraction in Melaka : The 20mil planetarium at MITC, Ayer Keroh. For info, Melaka has one planetarium already 'The Al-Khawarizmi Astronomy Complex situated in Tanjung Bidara. The entrance was set at RM 10 nett for adult and RM 5 nett for children.

From the outside, the building is very impressive. Big white building (just what a planetarium is supposed to be :) with a man made waterfall in front of it. Well, the main attraction is the 250 seats theater which is equipped with the latest digitally operated equipment in the country. The sphere projection acts as if we are really looking into space (the seat is set 45-degree in position). The show was on beauty and secret of the universe, planets. The end. :)

Alas, that is all that I can say about the planetarium. There were other displays nicely put up at the lobby exhibition area. Dark and mysterious. Mysterious? Well..there was no one to explain or demonstrate on the things. You need to read the poster on the wall, and figure out what the 'wires and rods' are supposed to present. Dark place + reading= ? Hmm.. interesting isn't it.
There were video recording of space plans ..but wish there were guides explaining things like the ones at Petrosains. That should make it lively and interesting.

"Look! You are standing on the moon!". What? Ooo..fancy that. :) The moon is beneath my feet.

Mohd Ali berkata pelbagai prasarana akan diwujudkan seperti, Perpustakaan Angkasa Lepas (Aerospace Library), Water Musical Fronter dan penghasilan buku-buku berteraskan pendidikan astronomi dan angkasa lepas.

Sehubungan itu, katanya Planetarium Melaka dijangka meminta bantuan Planetarium Negara untuk membiayai kos membina kutub khanah itu, manakala kos pembinaan Water Musical Front oleh Kementerian Pelancongan.

Regrets

If you ask around, basically there are 5 big and common regrets that dying people often voiced out loud:

1) I wish I had the courage to live the life that I wanted to. Not the life that others expected of me.
When people realized that they are dying, they tend to look back at the past. It's easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not even tried to achieve half of their dreams. All because of choices that they have or have not made.

2) I wish I did not work so hard.
Most regretted of the times spent at the office or at work. They missed their kids' growing years and their partner's companionship. All those birthdays, anniversaries, teachers-parents day, every special and sad events.

3) I wish I had the courage to voice out my feelings.
Some people keep all their feelings inside in order to keep the peace with others. As a result, they choose to live a mediocre life. They never become who they were capable of becoming. Some choose a safe life instead of going after the one that they love till it's too late.

4) I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends
Some people would not truly realized the full benefits of old friends until their last dying days. By then, it's not always possible to track the friends down.
Some of us has become so caught up with our lives that we had let our friendship slip over the years.

5) I wish I had let myself be happier
Some of us never realize that happiness is a choice. We had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits, comfortable with the safety of the routine.
Fear of changes made people pretend to others and themselves that they were content. Deep within they just want to laugh properly and be silly whenever they want to and not be restricted to conform to their lifestyle.

Faulty Brain Circuit

First you need to answer these 3 questions :
a) Do your friends cover their ears when you sing along with the radio?
b) Were you always rejected when you audition for the choir group?
c) Are you bad at Karaoke?

If the answer is yes to all 3 questions, you should be happy to know that it's not your fault. This is called 'Tone Deaf'. The latest info that came from the reserches that scientists from 'Journal of Neoroscience': All this could be a tiny bit of faulty brain circuit. It's just a little wiring problem.

Being tone deaf is a small handicap. You still have normal hearing and speech but not able to detect differences in musical pitch. Those who were tone deaf have fewer connections between two areas of the brain that perceive and produce sounds.

So you see, this discovery will help lots of people who can't sing a tune and will make the world more in harmony. For the meantime, let us just keep our silence and lip-sync. :) Leave the singing to the others.

Hungry Ghosts

The Hungry Ghost Festival is a traditional Chinese festival which falls on the 15th night of the seventh Chinese lunar month. This year the festival falls from 10 Aug 2010 till 7 September 2010.

It is believed by Taoists, during this month, the gates of hell are opened to free the hungry ghosts who then wander to seek food on Earth. Some of the ghosts would seek revenge on those who had wronged them during their human lives. To remember their dead/ancestors and pay tribute to them, the Chinese folks will burn incense (little ones outside houses and enormous cigar like sticks outside temples and business areas). There will also be burning of joss paper & papier-mache clothes, cars, houses, gold and other material things for the visiting spirits of the ancestors.

In Buddhism, the Hungry Ghost Festival is called Ullambana. The people believed that
one of the Buddhist's disciples found that his mother has been reborn as a Hungry Ghost with a thin throat and a big stomach (a punishment for being greedy and selfish in life). She could not eat but she was always hungry. To release her from agony, the disciple was told to chant mantras for all the hungry ghosts and to offer food to 500 months on the Hungry Ghost Festival. As a result of his filial piety, his mother was allowed to be reborn as a human and this practice has since been observed by Buddhists all over the world.

Taoists disciples were taught to care for the unleashed spirits who have been given a month's reprieve from the tortures of hell by offering them food and prayers. This way, the Taoists devotees will learn to have empathy for the dead. It also serves as a reminder to live an exemplary life in order not to be put in hell.

The much awaited event would be the traditional Chinese Opera performances and puppet shows which centered upon the values (empathy and filial piety) that is much needed in order to be a better person. The number of person attending it would be huge..as it attracts not only adults but dating couples as well as curious children. A fact that you should know is that no matter how packed the show is , the front seats are always left empty/vacant. You should remember that the show is presented in honor of the ghosts, it was fitting that those VIP seats are for them. Even if you do not understand the wordings (spoken in classical Chinese) you would still enjoy the easy plots, the rich costumes and martial arts performed by the actors.

Alas, those Chinese Opera is becoming extinct, as the young doesn't 'digg' into it anymore. The young people preferred singings and concerts. The ghosts were now entertained with pop concerts by any 'sweet young thing' that can sing a tune with shorter skirts and blouses. Hmm.. food for thoughts.. are the front seats still occupied?

The Getaway

May you always have work for your hands to do
May your pockets hold always a coin or two
May the sun shine bright on your window pane
May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain
May the hand of a friend always be near you
And may God fill your heart and gladness to cheer you
-An Irish poem-

A Holiday without husband?
Hmm..at first it sounds like a crazy idea. But thinking about it again, it's certainly a Getaway to be recommended, once in a while..at least.

Just imagine: having less tug of war on the emotions trying to decide going to his family's place or yours thing. This idea might raise a few eyebrows, but it can certainly do wonders to your love life and marriage.

To stay apart. Just far enough not to tread on each other's toes but near enough to meet after a quick phone call. It would be like courtship time all over again. Imagine that: you get to spend as much time as you want with your mother, siblings or girlfriends while he gets to catch up with things he wanted to do on his own. You can sms and talk to each other every day and arrange meal dates , reliving memories of courtship of the not too distant past. Then meeting back again after the holiday apart with full anticipation, to feel again the missing of a heartbeat at the thought of holding his hands again and the flush of emotions.

The wonders of a holiday apart. Nice, isn't it..

Back to Work..

Eh Bien.. the long break (10 days) is over. Time for cat to go back to work.

1st lesson : Cat should not go back to sleep after 'Sahur'. (naughty grin)
Ceh.. Re 'wake up' at 7.30am and had a fun time getting ready to go to work. (Took a bath, hit knee against a chair, call to friend to say to wait for cat, searching up and down for ID card,hit elbow against another chair..ow..and rushing to the front gate just to realize no handphone in the pocket. Go back inside the house, take handphone and went outside exactly at the same time transport come. Reached office : 8.50am. he3x. Not bad. But got 2 bruises to show for it : 1 kat lutut & 1 kat siku). Kesian cat.. ceh kesian kat diri sendiri. (senyum)

Ahh.. good old office. Rindu nya. Everything looks just the same. Oppss.. what is that brown coloured thing on cat's table? aiyo..my 'pokok'! It completely slips cat's mind. Forgot to ask anyone to help look after it. And this is a gift from cat's ex-boss, whose office is just by the accounts. Think cat! ok.. let's check it again. Thank God.. only the top leaves are brown. So cat can cut that part and let the green leaves show. Fuh.. This is what happens when you never go for a long break for so long. You missed out certain details that you usually take for granted.

Now for the big event..opening cat's work e-mail. Taking a seat first and making cat self comfortable. No milo this morning (he3x..fasting ma..). Switch on the PC, putting in password, starting ok.. 50, 60, counting.. 70, 80.. 100....ok.. 200.. gulp..220... and 350! 350 e-mails & tasks to check and take action. Going to be a long day today.. Welcome back, cat.

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Cat: Miss u too, my good old pc .. (smile)

Typically Malaysian

One of the good things in being insomniac is that you get to catch up with your reading. :) This is not trying to be positive.. it's reality. Let's see.

There was this article in the NST 14 June (OMG..it has been so long I did not read the "Weekends" column). A woman was voicing out her discomfort at always being asked: when will she get married. Typically Malaysian thing nowadays, kan :)


Well, my dear. Join the club. That is the normal thing people will ask in Malaysia. There's no such thing as privacy. That question is as commonly accepted in the same way if people come to you and ask about the weather. And this is not only for the Malays but valid for all the races in Malaysia. Don't believe me? Just ask your collegues. The same story, my dear.


It's quite funny actually when you think of it(One of the things that people will also tell you). First, 'they' (you can replace the 'they' to any name that you) want) told us to study hard. To take this opportunity to prove to yourself that you can do better than the guys. So, what did you do? :) The expected thing : Study hard and get a job. By this time, let's say.. you are already 25 or 26 years old.


You don't even have to wait to be asked by family or relatives during festival. Everyone that you meet will be willing to ask you the big question. First question: Dah kahwin ke? And then you'll get the funny look.. "aiyah.. woman, still not married? You are not getting any younger , you know." Then there will be a session on benefits of being married.


An advise: Don't ever feel insulted or angry. You know that they are not being nosy, just being concerned about you. (Remember, think positive. Then you won't have wrinkles. ceh..) Tips by someone who has had that experience:
1) First, change the conversation. Ask that person about his/her family. This will always do the trick especially if you ask about the children. Parents do love to talk about their kids. DO NOT ask about the hubby.. if you don't want to be blacklisted as a potential "competitor" or "no 2 wife".
2) Secondly, let them have their say. At the end of the conversation, stand and say "look , I got to go now. My company is sending me to " " (wherever) and the limo will be picking me up any minute now. (Evil kan).
3) Tell them the benefits of being single (think of something le)
4) If it's an older relative, make sure keep your mouth shut and smile. Mana lah tau that makcik has a son. (just joking.You should always respect your elders coz words will come back to your mom's ears).
5) Migrate to other countries. :)
Best of luck to you, my dear. Keep your spirits high

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P/S Questions won't stop there, you know. After getting a husband, people will ask you when are you going to get a child. After having a child, the question will be "When is the second one coming?".

The questions will not stop until you conform to the national standard : a husband and at least 2 kids. Don't let it get you down. There are many others with the same situation out here. Just use the same solution as above and keep smiling. Your turn will come afterwords to bully the next generation with those questions. Just wait for your turn. Welcome to Malaysia.